Why doesn’t Cigna just close some of the offices instead of doing these massive layoffs? Does anyone know if they plan to do this as part of their strategy after February?
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It is hard to bootlick without direct physical access to the boot, that's for sure.
@dm Between the ESI merger and Covid, the culture has definitely changed, and I think a lot of it has to do with the virtual environment. I remember going into the Chattanooga office 5 (sometimes 6) days a week for over two decades. And senior management, even if they were located in Bloomfield or elsewhere, would visit the teams on a regular basis. None of that happens anymore. You can't build and maintain culture via WebEx and email.
It took years for Cigna to close the sale in the former Medco/Express Scripts property in Franklin Lakes NJ. It was emptied in 2022 and the sale finally closed in the last couple of months. The corporate real estate market ain’t what it used to be.
@dm I'm guessing HIH will be a loophole to immigrate from there to Chattanooga. Similar to H1B in the 2000s to California.
Close offices? And forfeit all that valuable collaboration, cross-functional communication, corporate culture, and spontaneous corridor conversations?
Heaven forbid we lose another competitive advantage...
@dn - are you the guy who verbally abuses his employees and treats them like cr-p? I don't understand how you get away with it. We all hear you alllll day as you speak to them like a je-k.
@dn you seem like a real pleasant person....
@ds Horrifying thing is when #1 is a woman and enables #3 and #2 looks up to #1 and #3.
They are leasing more space and totally renovating, from the studs up, the Chattanooga office. No telling how many millions of dollar is spent on this when nobody wants to go to the office anyway.
I simply do not recognize this company anymore. It's heartbreaking.
@cm I bet you are correct. They will look to get more voluntary attrition that way since long-time work-at-home folks won’t want to commute long distances to do the same sh*t they can more easily do from home.
Plans are in place to restack the office spaces after the layoffs/VRP so that more current WAH workers will be ordered into the office. Look for 4 days/wk requirement in the fall.
They have been pushing return to office though, so when the leases are up do you think they will re-evaluate? There’s some small offices employees barely go to but are “forced” to go to. Bloomfield will never shut down of course.
When Covid lockdowns were a thing, offices lost a ton of value. So its a loss to sell them. I dont know if they still are.
But most companies actually have a contract to lease space. Except, unlike an apartment lease, these leases are for many years because it is cheaper that way.
Cigna was able to shutdown some, and combine others. Cigna is in a unique position where some of its leased space is part office part pharmacy factory. Where the factory dispenses medications that are sent to customers. That can't reasonably be shut down.
Also can't shut down the Bloomfield office where Cigna Tech Conference is held. Executive Leadership has to have their castle to lord over us peasants.
Can you believe that before the lockdowns that they were trying to jam more people in the same space by converting to open-concept floor plans? When the answer was work from home all along!
Cigna has been closing offices steadily over the past 5-7 years. I think the majority of offices that are left are either 1) long-term leases we’re stuck in, or 2) large commercial properties that Cigna owns but probably wouldn’t be able to find a buyer for- like Bloomfield and St Louis.